This oriental recipe is quite spicy, but very tasty.
It's necessary
For the fonio balls, you will need:
1 cup fonio cereal,
2.5 cups of water,
½ cup oatmeal,
½ onion, diced
clove of garlic,
¼ teaspoon of salt,
2 teaspoons of cumin,
1 teaspoon of crushed hot pepper,
1 teaspoon of sweet allspice,
1 teaspoon coriander,
½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds,
¼ teaspoon cinnamon,
2 tablespoons of pureed tomatoes.
For the coconut and peanut sauce, you will need:
1 tablespoon of olive oil,
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped,
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger,
1 carrot, chopped into thin rings,
½ red sweet pepper, diced,
3 dl coconut milk,
1/3 cup peanut butter,
¼ cup roasted peanuts,
½ cup of water, a spoonful of pureed tomatoes,
1 tablespoon of coconut sugar,
½ spoon of hot allspice,
¼ teaspoon of salt
Preparation
Fonio balls
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fonio and fry for a minute or two, stirring often. Add water and salt and heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 7-8 minutes, until the fonio is cooked and all the liquid has evaporated.
Transfer the cooked fonio to the bowl of a food processor. Add oats, onion, garlic, spices and tomato paste. Knead for 20-30 seconds, scraping the edges, until well combined and sticky enough to form balls.
From 3 tablespoons of the resulting mass, form balls with your hands. Transfer the balls to a large pan lined with parchment paper and set aside (you should get about 12 balls).
Heat a tablespoon of oil in another pan. When it is well heated, add the balls, and shake the pan so that the balls are well rolled in the oil. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the balls are golden brown on each side. Remove from heat and set aside.
Coconut-peanut sauce
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and grated ginger. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the carrot and red pepper and simmer for another 5-8 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
Combine coconut milk, peanut butter, water, tomato paste, coconut sugar, hot allspice and salt. Stir well to combine everything (if you want a thinner sauce, add ¾ cup instead of ½ cup water). Simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
Dip the fonio balls into the sauce and stir to coat them well in the sauce. Simmer for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with peanuts, crushed allspice and fresh parsley. Serve warm, with a green salad.
